As one of the leading manufacturers of custom rubber watch bands, Rubber B is always excited to see the world of horology represented in mainstream popular culture. One of the places where this happens semi-frequently, despite not getting a lot of attention in the watchmaking world, is when Rolex watches are named after famous people.
There are a lot of reasons for this, but the most significant one is that Rolex does not officially sanction these nicknames. Rather, they are a sort of informal shorthand, used by collectors and vendors to save time when referring to a specific model. Because Rolex never officially uses these names in their marketing material, they may be unfamiliar to a newer collector.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some Rolex timepieces that have been named for famous people – some real, and some fictional.
Clint Eastwood
Not every star who has a Rolex named after them has actually worn them, but one celebrity who most certainly has is Clint Eastwood. In fact, he wore his GMT-Master 16753, which has a brown dial and Root Beer bezel, in several different films in the 1970s and 80’s.
Read more about Client Eastwood
Paul Newman – Famous Rolex Watch
One of the most coveted timepieces in all of the world, many experienced collectors would go on the record as saying that the Paul Newman Daytona is considered the Holy Grail of timepiece collection.
These watches are immediately recognizable by their dials, which differ ever so slightly in terms of font, colors, and configuration from other Daytona chronographs of the 1960s-1970s, as the watch had a slight Art Deco style to its design. As a result, it was seen as somewhat unconventional at the time of its release.
The watch was not a big seller, and this resulted in a limited number of these chronographs being manufactured in the first place. If you are fortunate enough to own one, consider yourself lucky – you quite literally own a piece of horological history.
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James Bond
Though he may be a fictional character, James Bond has made as much of an impact as anyone on this list – possibly more, depending on who you ask, as he is the world’s most iconic secret agent, after all.
In the original novels, author Ian Fleming makes no mention of what type of Rolex James Bond is wearing – only that he has one. However, in 1962, it was a 6538 Submariner that Sean Connery was wearing when Bond was seen on screen for the first time in the classic Dr. No. And though there are a lot of similar-looking Rolex Submariners that are mistakenly called the “James Bond Rolex,” only the 6538 Submariner can truly hold that title.
It is also worth noting that this tradition did not end with Dr. No, as Bond would continue to wear Rolex watches in several other films over the years.
More Info Read: Rubber B Presents: A Tribute to Sean Connery
James Cameron
This is a timepiece that Rubber B is particularly excited to put on the list, as we published a rather lengthy blog post last year about this timepiece and why it is so special.
The Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller with D-Blue Dial that bears James Cameron’s name was released in 2012 to celebrate Cameron’s successful solo dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which made him the first person in the world to do so. This special edition watches also features has the word ‘Deepsea’ inscribed on it in bright green letters, which refers to the color of Cameron’s submarine.
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Steve McQueen
This watch has quite an interesting back story behind it. The Rolex Explorer II 1655, which has been affectionately dubbed the “Steve McQueen” for decades, was never actually worn by the man himself. In his personal life, McQueen wore a stainless steel Submariner, so why is this watch associated with him?
It is the direct result of a marketing campaign Rolex used in the 1970’s to try and boost sales of the watch, as it was a more obscure timepiece at the time that was mainly used by speleologists and other types of scientists. However, after several decades, this timepiece will always be known as the Steve McQueen among collectors.
Need a Custom Rubber Watch Strap For Your Rolex Timepiece? Visit the Rubber B Website
If you are looking for a custom rubber watch band for your Rolex watch, Rubber B has a large variety of designs for several different watches for you to choose from. To see our complete product catalog, simply visit our website today.
